Dana Offering

Reverend Koho Takata

 

We often use a word "Dana" as in "Project Dana," "Dana donation," and so forth. What does "Dana" mean to you? The word "Dana" is known to Buddhists as one of Six Paramitas, one of the basic Mahayana teachings. "Dana" is a Sanskrit term. We translate the word as "selfless giving" in English.

Now, we no longer print the list of monetary donations in the newsletter. However, we print the list of monetary and material donations for fund-raising in the newsletter. Some of the members asked me why we print only these and not other donations such as memorial services, funeral services, altar, columbarium, and so forth. How do you feel about this? Would you prefer to print the list of all donations in the newsletter or not?

There are many ways to practice Dana. One is for a minister to deliver a Dharma message. And as responding to this, lays can donate materials and monies to maintain the facilities of the temple where they listen the teachings of the Buddha. Moreover, ministers and lays can visit care homes or hospitals to comfort and bring the peace of mind, members can donate their times and labors to clean and maintain the temples and yards, and so forth. When you practice Dana in your daily life, is it a selfless giving or not?

Some of you may think if you donate the money to the temple, help the fund raising, clean the temple or yard, or uphold the good moral, you are good enough to attain the birth in the Pure Land. However, it is not so. Remember, Amida Buddha has vowed to save all beings without any distinctions, even though whether you are good or evil, man or woman, rich or poor, and so forth.

    "Those who practice the root of good

    While believing deeply in the recompense of good and evil

    Are good people whose minds are possessed of doubts;

    Hence, they remain in the provisional, transformed lands."

(The Collected Works of Shinran, P.415)

The important things are how mindful you are of the Buddha, how you listen to the Dharma, and how caring you are of the Sangha. From the true meaning of Dana, we should not care whether your names are printed in the newsletter or not, or we should not even proud of what we donated. However, we are imperfect beings. It is extremely difficult for us to achieve perfect a practice of Dana.

Whether we print the list of donations in the newsletter or not, it is not important. How you think of donating the money to the temple or minister, having the time to listen to the teachings, cleaning the temple or yard, caring for the ill and elderly patients, working hard to maintain the temple, and so forth are the most important. Please be mindful of keep selfless giving at all times and in all places. If we do so, then, we will be able to have more meaningful time and better relationship with Sangha in the temple, and also in the communities.

Namo-Amidabutsu